Under the Wings of Lightning
by DDR B-Girl Emi
Summary: J/J! This story covers both Tekken 3 and Tekken 4. Julia Chang vows to find her mother and enters herself in the third tournament. Through this, she meets the mysterious Jin Kazama. But what happens when one can't be loved and protected all at once?
1. Default Chapter

Chapter One: Settling In  
*~~=~~*  
Julia Chang quickly spun ducked under her opponent's kick and brushed up with a vertical kick. She managed to hit her foe's stomach and watched as he flipped backwards rapidly. His body hit the floor with a thud and he remained grounded, breathing heavily.  
"The winner is Julia Chang!" A loud voice boomed.  
Julia smiled and executed a backward flip, finishing her pose with two hands on her hips. She smiled sweetly and posed.  
Julia walked out of the arena, taking off her Native American band around her head. Her mother had disappeared and she had entered the Third King of the Iron Fist Tournament in hopes of finding Heihachi Mishima and her beloved mother, Michelle Chang. Now she was one step closer. She walked down the corridor, distracted as she remembered her mother and the memories they shared. Michelle Chang had taken her in when she was a baby, left alone in the sunny desert of Arizona. She had raised her with love, affection, and determination, training Julia in the art of self-defense. Now Julia was 18 and studying to be an archaeologist. People of her tribe had said that despite not being a blood relative of Michelle, she had certainly inherited her adopted mother's beauty. She was a gorgeous young woman with chestnut brown hair, which was almost always tied away from her face. Today, they were done in two petite braids with a Native American ribbon woven in and out. Her eyes, almost always twinkling, were a light brown shade and her lips were always a cheery shade of pink. She sported a very unique look, wearing a short, frayed, denim skirt, baggy knee-high socks, exotic leather boots, a green cropped-top with an open leather cropped vest, matching leather wrist guards, and a silver band around her upper right arm. The band she had just taken off had two feathers planted on it, one red and one white with black tips. Modest as she was, she never had to wear anything particularly special to look beautiful. Despite her looks, much to the disappointment of many young men, she had really thought about the opposite sex. She was much to busy protecting the wild animals that roamed or excavating ruins in her native land. Julia let out a sigh as she thought about her mother's last words. "What lies before us or behind us is nothing compared to what lies within us." She had said right before taking off. Julia was sure her mother's whereabouts where known by Heihachi. The tribe had warned her about the fearsome "God of Fighting" and the consequences of the victims, yet Julia forged on in hopes of finding her mother. She had trained twice as hard, strengthening her arm and leg muscles and trained on her own, developing new techniques. Now she had entered the tournament...a late entry, but a formidable opponent. Fueled by the love for her mother and her strong desire to be champion.  
Julia felt herself being pushed back slightly. "Ow..."  
"Ditto." A young, Chinese girl said. Evidently, Julia had hit the girl while lost in her thoughts.  
"Sorry...." Julia murmured. "I wasn't paying attention."  
The girl giggled. "It's cool." She smiled warmly. "My name's Ling Xiaoyu. Who're you?"  
"Julia Chang."  
"Pleased to meet you!" Xiaoyu exclaimed. Xiaoyu was a 16-year old, perky, teenage girl. Her hair was done in two pigtails on either side of her head. She was wearing a flamboyant red Chinese-style silk pantsuit with a light pink shirt inside. Around her waist was a brightly colored yellow bow. She had a very lively face and a cute disposition. She wore relatively thin, bright red wrist guards, which looked more like thick, red, bracelets.   
"So why're you in the tournament?" Xiaoyu asked.  
Julia hesitated. "I want to find my mother, Michelle Chang."  
"Oh, I see. I think I've heard of her...wasn't she in the previous tournaments?"  
"Yeah." Julia replied. "What about you? What're your reasons?"  
"Well..." Xiaoyu replied coyly, "I want to build the biggest and most stupendous amusement park in the world!" She blushed. "I know it sounds dumb, but it's always been my dream to build my own amusement park and only the Mishima's have enough money to make one." Xiaoyu paused for a while. "Besides, I'm especially interested in teasing Jin."  
"Jin?" Julia asked.  
"He's Heihachi's grandson...kind of mysterious too. He's kind of handsome too, but I enjoy poking him and messing up his hair." Xiaoyu replied sheepishly. "He goes to my school."  
"Oh." Julia responded. "Wait, Heihachi's grandson?"  
"Yup!" Xiaoyu did a little skip-hop. "The son of Kazuya Mishima and Jun Kazama. It's kind of interesting really."  
Julia closed her eyes. "Jun...that name sounds so familiar."  
"It should! She was in the second tournament, with your mom!"  
Julia was silent. Xiaoyu continued. "It's really kind of romantic. Jun was supposedly able to help Kazuya suppress the devil side of him or something. In any case, he loved her. And they had a child...but Jun fell victim to..." she paused.  
"To what?" Julia asked, then it hit her. "The God of Fighting?"  
Xiaoyu nodded slowly. "I didn't want you to think about your...mother or anything."  
Julia sighed. "I understand. I came to this tournament to find the truth, even if that means realizing my mother's...dead."  
"No! NO, NO, NO!" Xiaoyu yelled, waving her hands. "Don't think that way! I'm sure she's alive, OK? Ah, I'm sorry!" She said meekly, bowing her head.  
Julia smiled. "It's OK, Xiaoyu. I'm going to find my mother, that's all that matters to me."  
Xiaoyu nodded. "So anyway, Kazuya and Jun had a child...but I wonder why his name is Jin KAZAMA and not MISHIMA, ya know?" She asked.  
Julia shrugged. "Maybe he changed it."  
"JIN!!!" Xiaoyu yelled across the hall, attracting the gaze of many dumbfounded people, including the Jin himself. Xiaoyu ran down the hall, leaving an extremely miffed Julia.  
"Hey Jin!" She greeted with a smile.  
"Hi." Jin replied stonily, obviously not enjoying the attention from the young girl.  
True to her word she mussed his hair and giggled as Jin shot an irritable glance at her.  
"You mind?" He asked, an angry expression on his face. He put his right hand through his hair and did the best job he could of rearranging it to it's normal condition. Xiaoyu giggled as Jin swiftly forged past her and up the corridor. Julia watched intently as the 19 year-old Jin Kazama made his way passed her. He definitely was handsome, but nothing incredibly special. He seemed a bit on the silent, serious side and by the looks of it, his face never seemed to look any different then the rigid, set look of determination. Julia also noticed that his chest was bare, exposing well-toned muscles and light, smooth, skin. He was wearing a long pair of black, drawstring pants with a fading, bright red flame running down the right side. His hands were bound in a black wrist guard surrounded by a red wristguard, which granted more protection due to its width, but less coverage so that some of the black was visible underneath. Similarly bound were his feet. Shiny, black, hair was slicked back with some stray strands hanging down his forehead. He had profoundly dark eyes which seemed to absorb you temporarily as Julia discovered when he made eye contact with her. It was only for a second, but at the moment, Julia felt a surge of curiosity, mystery, and determination. However, through those eyes which had witnessed so much horror, she also felt a sharp pang of fear.  
"He's something, eh?" Xiaoyu's familiar voice asked.  
"Yeah..." Julia whispered, then she looked to the floor to avoid blushing, quickly regaining composure and looking back up. "Why is HE in the tournament?"  
Xiaoyu shrugged. "Who knows? I think it had something to do with finding pieces of his past, but that Jin Kazama is an enigma in the flesh."  
"He's gone through a lot..." Julia replied distantly.  
"Eh? How do you know? You didn't even know who he was until I came around."  
"His eyes...I can see it..."  
Xiaoyu cocked her head to one side. "See what?"  
"Pain." Julia whispered, in a seemingly deep trance. She quickly snapped out of her haze. "Oh, sorry, didn't mean to freak you out there."  
Xiaoyu smiled. "You didn't freak me out. That Kazama DOES have eyes that seemed pained."  
"Yeah...I guess." Julia replied.  
"Hey, you just entered the tournament recently, right?" Xiaoyu asked.  
Julia nodded. "Yeah."  
"What's your room number?"  
Julia took out a folded sheet of paper from her pocket. "Room 404."  
"Great, we're just three rooms down! If you need anything, you can just go down to room 407."  
Julia grinned. "Got it." She looked up at the gloomy ceiling. "You mind showing me where the rooms are?"  
"Right this way!" Xiaoyu exclaimed, walking with a bit more bounce in her step than that of a normal teenage girl.  
"Thanks."  
"No problem!"  
The two walked down the candle-lit corridor and wooden floors. Everything was built in an old Japanese style. The wood was polished and shined weekly and the blurry reflection of the candlelight could be seen on the floor. In fact, the entire corridor lacked a single electric lamp...the whole way down was lit by candles within rice paper lanterns.  
"Creepy, huh?" Xiaoyu asked.  
"I guess..."  
"Where are you from anyway?"  
"Arizona. I live with a tribe of Native Americans."  
"Wow!" Xiaoyu exclaimed, her voice echoing down the hall. "Do you live in teepees?"  
Julia chuckled. "No, we're not that far behind. We have cars, schools, everything. We all just happen to live in adobe houses in a concentrated area. Many of the people there are full Native American. My mother happens to be half."  
"And what nationality are you?" Xiaoyu asked.  
Julia stopped walking. "I...I don't know." She said suddenly. "I was...Michelle adopted me."  
"Oh! I'm so sorry!" Xiaoyu exclaimed sincerely.  
"It's fine...I mean, Michelle was...IS all the mother I could ever ask for. She took care of me, she fed me, and even fed up with me when I was a rebellious teenager." Julia began walking again, looking down at the grown.  
"You must love her very much," Xiaoyu whispered, "to be willing to fight this whole tournament for her."  
Julia looked up distantly. "I do." She replied.  
Xiaoyu quickly changed the subject as she announced, "Here's your room!"  
Julia looked at the dark, wooden door.  
"As you know, your luggage has been delivered straight to your room so all you have to do is unpack and unwind. There's a meal schedule listed right on the desk and everything. There's a phone, computer, towels, and basic essentials. You're free to spice up your room in any way. You can put up posters, charms, whatever as long as you don't nail them up...they charge you for damages." Xiaoyu paused, "That should be it."  
Julia smiled. "Thanks again, for everything...I mean. It's nice to get all that stuff about mom off my shoulders once in a while."  
Xiaoyu grinned. "Looks like I didn't do too much damage after all."  
Julia nodded and closed the door, grateful that she had found someone to confide in. Her brown suitcase was set on one of the beds and she began to unpack her clothes into the drawer. She began to reminisce again while she set her additional toiletries and sighed as she pulled out a Native American dream catcher. The outer ring had a shaped stick covered with soft, brown, leather. White string was strung within the ring in an elegant web-like pattern. The center held a circular piece of genuine turquoise. Dangling from the bottom were two thing strips of leather with three smaller turquoise beads and feathers affixed to each strip. Despite the simplicity of the dream catcher, it held many memories for Julia as it was a handmade gift from Michelle. According to Michelle, Julia had received it three days after living with her adopted mother. Julia sighed, remembering how everyday, it was always hanging above her...capturing the bad dreams and constraining them in the center piece. It also brought back memories from her days with Michelle. All the myths her mother had told her to help her get to sleep, the happiness she felt when Michelle praised her, the discipline she received when she didn't follow instructions, and the agony of waiting on the parched, red, cliffs for her mother's return. Julia wiped away the tear that was forming in her right eye and tied the dream catcher in a sturdy, but loose, knot. Finally, she set her archaeology books on the desk and plopped in the cushioned chair. She grabbed the white card on the table and checked everything. Breakfast would begin at eight o'clock in the morning and last until ten o'clock for those who wanted to get more sleep, would be served at noon and end at one o'clock, finally, dinner started at 6 o'clock and lasted until 9 o'clock due to the fact that people tended to eat dinners at different times. On the back of the card was the contact information. Julia set the card down and looked at the digital clock atop the clothes drawer. The illuminated letters read 7:03 PM. She began to read "Incan Pottery" when she heard a knock on the door.  
"Julia, it's me!" A lively voice called behind the door.  
Julia opened the door and saw the familiar face of Ling Xiaoyu, this time clothed in a red, simple Chinese-style collared shirt with cylindrical wooden buttons which extended to her waist along with pink, loose-fitting pants. "Hi, Xiaoyu."  
"I'm on my way over to the dining hall right now, did you want to come?"  
Julia shook her head. "Sorry, I'm not all that hungry right now. Maybe I'll join up with you later."  
"Okay!" Xiaoyu exclaimed. "The dining hall's down that way," she pointed down a corridor to Julia's right, "and on the left side. You can't miss it!"  
"Thanks." Julia replied.  
"See ya!" Xiaoyu exclaimed happily as she waved to Julia.  
Julia shut her door again and began reading again.  
  
Julia inserted a bookmark into her book and set it down on the table. The clock read 8:15 PM. She quickly changed into a pair of blue jeans and a matching blue clue crop-top. She hurriedly took the key to her room and ran outside, following the directions Xiaoyu had given her. She saw the words "DINING HALL" engraved on a plaque to her left and opened the corresponding door. Although Julia hadn't come too late, she noticed that not many people were eating at this time. Immediately, she regretted declining Xioayu's invitation for she now had to sit alone. She got in the line and took whatever looked pleasing: a salad with honey mustard dressing and a fried chicken breast. She sighed as she noticed most people were already in groups...and that the vast majority of people in the dining hall were men. She eyed every table while walking slowly past the groups. One conversation was particularly interesting.  
"Look at that Kazama, sitting all by himself." A young woman whispered. She was a brunette with a very odd-looking sleeveless red dress with a slit running up her side along with matching red high heels.  
"He'd better be, after all...who would want the son of the devil to sit next to them?" A dark-skinned Brazilian man replied.  
Julia frowned and continued to walk forward until she noticed she had gone all the way to the back of the dining hall. There she saw Jin Kazama, eating alone, as the brunette had said. He was still wearing his drawstring pants, but his wrist guards and foot guards were gone and his face held signs of perspiration.  
Julia cleared her throat. Jin looked up at her, eyed her with alert eyes and continued eating his food as if nothing had happened.  
"Mind if I sit here?" She asked.  
Jin shrugged. "Suit yourself."  
Julia gently set her plate on the table and sat adjacent to him. She slowly began to eat in silence, as did Jin.  
"So why are you in the tournament?" She asked, in hopes of starting a conversation.  
"That none of your business." He promptly replied.  
"No...I guess it's not." Julia replied. "Where are you from?"  
Jin avoided making eye contact with her. "I don't see why you would need to know, but Japan."  
Julia continued to eat. "Um...I'm from Arizona."  
"I didn't ask."  
"Are you always in such a rotten mood?"  
Jin glared fiercely at her. "Are you always so nosy?"  
"It's called trying to make conversation." Julia replied.  
"I'm not in the mood." Jin shot back, gathering his tray and getting ready to leave the table.  
"Nor will you ever." Julia mumbled.  
"You want to talk?" Jin asked, his voice rising. He slammed his tray on the table, causing people to look over in their direction. "TALK!" He yelled.  
Julia picked up her tray and left silently, depositing her unfinished food into the trashcan and setting her tray on the tray deposit. Pretending to be oblivious to the eyes that were on both her and Jin, she walked calmly out of the dining hall and into the hallway. She swiftly walked in the direction of her room, despite the fact that she was still hungry. 


	2. First Matchups

Author's Note: In this chapter, Hwoarang's outfit is described as having the words "Baek" written on the back. However, in the game, it looks more like "maek." However since there is no such word as "maek" in the Korean Language, I'm assuming Namco intended for it to be "Baek" since the character that's pronounced with an "M" looks similar to that of the "B."  
  
Chapter Two:   
*~~=~~*  
"Nice going, Jin." A Korean male commented sarcastically, pulling up a chair.  
Jin ignored him.  
"You know what, normally, I'd beat you up for yelling at a lady. But I'm not going to do that today otherwise I'd look just as horrible as you just did." He paused. "And I don't want to look any worse than my rival...if that's even possible."  
"Shut up Hwoarang."  
"Jin, you're not my mother." Hwoarang replied. "I'm going to go tell that girl that a slime like you is isn't worth her time."  
Hwoarang quickly got up and walked passed the now empty line for dinner and grabbed a butter roll. He too exited the dining hall and jogged down the hall toward the rooms. Halfway through, he made out the figure of the Native American girl.  
"Hey you!" He called.  
She spun around and looked at him.  
Hwoarang jogged to catch up to her. "Don't let Kazama get to you. He's always in a pissed off mood."  
"I could tell." Julia replied.  
"I didn't catch your name. I'm Hwoarang, and you are...?"  
"Julia Chang."  
"Ah...the daughter of Michelle Chang I take it?" Hwoarang asked, throwing her the roll he had picked up on the way.  
She caught the roll. "Yeah, that's right. How did you know?"  
Hwoarang grinned. "I have my ways."  
Julia smiled. Hwoarang was wearing a customary Tae Kwon Do outfit with the Korean characters "Baek" on the back. His hair was a vivid red shade and he looked like the humorous, yet persistent type. He was definitely easier to open up to than Jin Kazama.  
"So why are you in the tournament?" Hwoarang asked while Julia took a small bite of the roll.  
She swallowed. "I'm hoping to find out what happened to my mother. She had a pendant the was the key to an ancient Native American treasure...supposedly Heihachi wanted it in the second tournament. In hopes of finding out why Heihachi originally sought out the pendent, she left. She never returned. She may have been another victim of the God of Fighting...but only Heihachi Mishima knows the truth."  
Hwoarang nodded. "My teacher, Baek Do San, fell victim to the God of Fighting...I'm here to avenge him." He paused for a few seconds. "And defeat Jin Kazama."  
Julia looked at him curiously. "Why do you want to defeat Jin?"  
"Every time I had fought, I was always victorious. I fought against Jin but could only manage a draw." Hwoarang smiled boyishly. "I guess it's pride."  
Julia nodded.  
"But hey, if you ever need back up against Jin, just call for me, OK?"  
Julia laughed. "Sure. Thanks Hwoarang."  
Hwoarang winked at her. "Anything for a lady."  
  
Julia nearly leaped out of her bed. She walked to the bathroom and washed her face with shaky hands. She took a plush, white, towel and wiped her face. She realized it was only a dream, but the reality of it frightened her. She was waiting on the cliff, as she had done before entering the tournament, when suddenly she saw Michelle walking back. Dashing down the cliff, she ran to her mother and embraced Michelle. But when she pulled away from her mother's arms, her mother was gone. She recalled looking around until she looked at the desert sands and saw smooth, white, objects buried within: bones. Then Julia had looked at her hands and saw rich, warm, blood. Julia shook her head and flopped back on the bed, now wide awake. She could swear that the scent of blood was present and her shoulders heaved and trembled a bit. Soon after calming herself down and assuring herself that it was just a dream, she checked the time. The digital clock read 6:42 AM. Julia sighed, realizing she would not be able to sleep anytime soon. She changed out of her boxer shorts and tank top and into a red sports bra with matching red jeans. She put a short sleeved, translucent red mesh shirt. She put a band in her hair, tied her hair up in a ponytail, and then tightened portions of the ponytail so that it made her look more like a Native American. Slipping on some tennis shoes, she soon made her way out of her room, taking the keys with her as she left. She walked down the winding halls and made her way outside after several minutes of walking. The crisp air of Japan's morning brushed up against her cheeks and she let out a sigh. She saw cherry-blossoms blooming in the distance and walked in their direction. While she walked slowly around the mystical cherry blossoms, she noticed that there was a dojo hidden within the sakuras. She could hear the faint sound of feet hitting the floor and the voice of a male fighting. She edged closer to the dojo and looked inside. Sure enough, Jin Kazama was practicing within the darkened dojo. Almost immediately after she had looked inside, she quickly looked away and continued to walk on the path the cherry blossons cradled. Julia sighed as she inhaled the sweet scent of the cherry blossoms and walked through the garden of sakuras blissfully. Several minutes later, she heard water running nearby. She followed the sound of the current, straying off the set path, and soon found a hidden creek whose water ran into a small, shallow, pond. Julia stood in awe of the gorgeous place hidden within the evil compound pf the Mishima's. She took of her shoes and rolled up her jeans, dipping her feet into the cold water and feeling the sensuous tides massage her feet. She closed her eyes and lifted her head up at the clouds, safety of the pond for several minutes. Hidden away from the sakuras, in it's own little clearing, was a placid place like this. It was like a fragment of heaven... she was sure her mother would've liked it here. She opened her eyes and was met with a beautiful periwinkle sky along with puffy, happy-go-lucky clouds. At that moment, she realized that it was probably nearing 7:30 AM. She took her feet out of the water and let them dry for several minutes. After she was sure they were dry, she put her shoes and sock on and ran out of the enchanted clearing.  
  
"Julia! Sit here!" Xioayu's cheerful voice yelled.  
Julia smiled as she took her tray over too Xioayu's table. "Hey."  
"Where were you this morning? I couldn't find you in your room!" Xiaoyu exclaimed with a frown. Today she was wearing what appeared to be her school uniform: a navy blue plaid skirt with a neatly tucked in blouse. She wore a matching navy blue plaid bow on her shirt and aqua color wrist guards.  
"I just took a walk outside." Julia replied.  
"Well next time invite me!"  
Julia smiled. "Okay sure."  
"Sure what?" A familiar voice asked above Julia's head. Julia looked up and saw Hwoarang.  
"I just promised to invite Xiaoyu to go walking outside with me in the mornings." Julia explained.  
"Oh. I see." Hwoarang said as he set his tray down next to Julia. "You don't mind me sitting here, right?"  
Julia shook her head. "Go ahead."  
Today Hwoarang was looking very fashionable with a pair of olive green pants and a tucked in, tight-fitting grayish-blue tank top. Atop his fiery hair was a pair of trendy goggles. His wrists held wrist guards that were black with hints of blue.  
"Who're you?" Xiaoyu asked.  
"Hwoarang."  
"Ling Xiaoyu." Xiaoyu said, introducing herself and holding out her hand. Hwoarang took it and they shook.  
Julia turned to Xiaoyu. "I met Hwoarang yesterday."  
"Yeah. Right after stupid Kazama yelled at her." Hwoarang added bitterly.  
Xiaoyu hit Hwoarang lightly on the head. "Jin's not stupid! He's top in his class! He's also charming, handsome, and athletic."  
Hwoarang rolled his eyes. "Yeah, whatever."  
"Don't talk about Jin like that!"  
"I already did!"  
"Well stop!"  
"Hello! He's my rival! I'm SUPPOSED to hate him."  
"Well there's no way YOU'D beat him so there!"  
"I already managed a draw against him!"  
The two began to bicker. Julia cleared her throat, but the two didn't stop their argument. "GUYS!!!" She yelled.  
The two stopped immediately, grumbled their apologies, and resumed eating their breakfast.  
"The matches for today," The loudspeaker suddenly announced. "Eddy Gordo versus Paul Phoenix at 10:00 AM in the bamboo forest! Forest Law versus Jin Kazama at 3:00PM on the construction building! Anna Williams versus Julia Chang at 5:00 PM in the dojo! Finally, Hwoarang versus Panda at 6:00 PM in the bamboo forest!"  
"Good luck, Julia!" Xiaoyu exclaimed.  
"Thanks." Julia replied.  
"What about me?" Hwoarang asked, mockingly.  
Xiaoyu rolled her eyes. "Good luck, Hwoarang." She said monotonously.  
"Thanks!" Hwoarang exclaimed, ignoring her tone.  
"Whatever." Xiaoyu mumbled.  
  
Julia could feel her blood pulse as the announcer proclaimed the start of the third match.  
"Fight!"  
Julia immediately started with a sweeping kick, knocking the scantily clad Anna Williams down to the floor. Once grounded, Julia jumped up and exerted her weight on her opponent, punching downward. Anna quickly rolled backward and lunged at Julia in a series of punches followed by a power technique: Blonde Bomb. Julia flew backward and cursed under her breath.  
"Had enough?" Anna taunted.  
"I just got started." Julia muttered. She crouched under Anna's next kick and followed up with a vertical Skyscraper Kick. Once in the air, Julia swept her leg in a roundhouse kick, followed that with several punches and welcomed the falling adversary with a Suplex throw. As the brunette was rising, Julia immediately extended both arms forward with extra power which forced Anna to roll back several times. Anna dashed forward in hopes of overwhelming Julia, but Julia read the attack and quickly grabbed Anna by her arms, following this up with a technique she had made herself: Mad Axes. Julia punched her opponent in the face while still grabbing her arms, punched her neck downward and finally punched back up, releasing Anna and knocking her to the ground. Anna lifted her stomach up, in hopes of rising again, but she found she could not and stayed on the floor, wracked with pain.  
"Julia Chang wins!" The announcer's voice boomed.  
"GO JULIA!" Xiaoyu cheered from the crowd.  
Julia went down on one knee and posed with a prayer stance. Upon exiting the stage, she was greeted by her friend, Xiaoyu.  
"You really kicked her butt!" Xiaoyu exclaimed.  
"Thanks!" Julia replied.  
Xiaoyu looked to the ground and began digging her toe in the dirt. "Um, what was that about Jin yelling at you?" She asked softly.  
Julia was taken aback briefly. "Oh that..." Julia replied. "It's nothing huge...Jin just yelled at me yesterday in the dining hall."  
"Jin's not a bad person." Xiaoyu whispered. "He really can be nice! I guess he's gone through a lot. Besides, everyone's always spreading these nasty rumors about his father...you know?"  
Julia thought for a minute. She knew only too well. After the disappearance of skilled fighters due to the "God of Fighting," her mother had been suspected since she wore the pendant that Heihachi, the one who RELEASED the demon, had wanted. Rumors began to spread throughout the tribe and even Julia had been suspected since she was a relative of Michelle. Upon Michelle's disappearance, Julia had been pitied more than hated, but the sting of having her friends doubt her was still fresh in her mind.  
"I heard Jin used to be really happy until he was around fifteen years old. I guess I shouldn't spread rumors but I strongly believe that Jin isn't a mean person by nature, just by his experiences." Xiaoyu said.  
Julia sighed. "I guess so..."  
Xiaoyu smiled nervously. "But hey, what do I know?"  
"No, you're right...maybe I'm not being open-minded. But what can I say to him?"  
  
Julia made yet another turn in the hallway. "Why does this damn place have to be so big?"  
She let out an exasperated sigh as she turned again for what seemed to be the millionth time. She went down another series of stairs, passed two more corners and ran down the hallway. "NOW where do I go?" She ran down the end of the hall and was about to run down the stairs when a case of a beautiful woman's picture caught her eye.  
"In Loving Memory of Jun Kazama" the title read. Julia peered into the case and saw a picture of a lovely Japanese woman wearing a beautiful long white dress and simple white shoes. Her hair had a white headband with several strands of hair flowing on her forehead. She wasn't smiling, but she looked gorgeous; like a mysterious movie star or something. She had a dainty figure and it shocked Julia to know that she had actually been a fighter. Her eyes were looked like they knew something that no one could ever comprehend. Even through the photograph of Jun, it seemed as though she was reading Julia mind, heart, and soul. It was almost as if she was psychic. Those deep, black eyes which seemed to understand everything yet close itself off from others. Secretive eyes that looked like...  
The sudden sound of a doorknob being turned jerked Julia back into the real world. She quickly dashed down around the corner and melted into the shadows of the stairway, slowly beginning to walk away when she suddenly heard a familiar male voice.  
"Mother..."  
Julia bit her tongue to stop her from gasping out loud. She knew who had arrived. The one who bore those strangely super-attentive eyes: Jin Kazama. There was the sound of a light pitter-patter on the wooden floor, which indicated Jin's departure. The sound of the shuffling of feet grew more and more distant and told Julia that Jin had gone away. After several seconds of waiting a bit more, Julia emerged from the darkness and looked once again at Jun Kazama. She cocked her head and looked at the same picture at a different angle. There was a slight resemblance of Jin in Jun, but Julia couldn't exactly link Jin's facial features to that of Jun Kazama's. Jun had a soft, delicate face. Although there was the look of determination, there was more a placid and angelic feel to Jun's face. Jin on the other hand, though he had inherited Jun's eyes and her image of determination, had more of a sharp face. Who was his father again? Xiaoyu had told her earlier, she remembered that. Was it Kazuya Mishima? Yes, that was it: Kazuya Mishima. Julia made her way down the wooden stairs again and tried to picture what Kazuya Mishima had once looked like. 


End file.
